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Let us take you to another time and place
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Exclusive program itineraries and schedules
Explore yesterday and today
Thrill to the excitment of histories great events
Let us take you to another time and place
Exclusive program itineraries and schedules
Thrill to the excitment of histories great events
Our journey takes us into the worlds of two of England’s most glamorous women – in the 18th century Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (think Keira Knightly in the movie “The Duchess”) and from recent times, Diana, Princess of Wales. Weaving our tale around these two renowned beauties, our carefully crafted tour combines the grandeur of palaces and the excitement of London with bespoke guided tours, visits to stunning exhibitions, and two glorious days in the wild beauty of the Derbyshire Peak District.
We visit Althorp, the childhood home of both women (Georgiana was Princess Diana’s great, great, great, great aunt). This beautiful hall is now home to Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer. Our visit coincides with a very rare chance to see Mario Testino’s Vanity Fair series of photographs of Diana. Guided tours of the exhibitions Diana: Her Fashion Story at Kensington Palace, and House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth will bring you up close to iconic evening dresses, jewellery and other clothes from the wardrobes of our heroines. The dazzling Fashion galleries at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum offer an essential backdrop to their worlds.
In Kensington Palace and Chatsworth you will walk through the corridors, rooms and gardens of our heroines’ homes. A visit to Buckingham Palace will recall iconic highlights from Diana’s life as Princess of Wales. And in Derbyshire we visit the iconic knitwear company John Smedley, where you can buy timeless or cutting edge designs from a company that clothes today’s Royal Family. Our tour immerses you in the beating heart of London’s West End and includes time for you to take in a show or eat out at some of London’s great restaurants. Then, nestled in the Derbyshire Peak District, our country hotel, Hassop Hall, offers a ‘small but perfectly formed’ – and charming version of the grand houses we will visit.
Princess Fashion
The Palace
An Icon
Style
Day 1: On arrival at London airports, a private transfer will take you to selected 4 star hotel, our central London hotel and base for the first three nights. In the evening, we invite you for a welcome drink followed by our dinner together. This is the perfect opportunity for our group to get to know each other. Lunch N | dinner Y
Day 2. After breakfast we travel the short journey to Kensington Palace, which was once home to Princess Diana. The palace has been a royal residence since the 17th century and is now the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Our visit includes a tour of the State Rooms and the sell-out exhibition, Diana: Her Fashion Story. Lunch is in Kensington’s elegant Orangery, which was originally built for Queen Anne. In the afternoon there’s time to explore the palace gardens and to go on if you wish to Hyde Park, where you’ll find boating on the serpentine, fountains and statues including the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to spend at your leisure. Breakfast Y | Lunch Y | Dinner N
Day 3. In the morning we visit the State Rooms of the Queen’s principal London residence, Buckingham Palace. The Garden Café offers light lunches and views across Buckingham Palace’s famous lake and lawn – scene of many a garden party. In the afternoon, we move on to the Victoria & Albert Museum, one of the world’s great centres for art and design. Here, the fabulous Fashion galleries give us further glimpses of our two muses – Georgiana and Diana. You’ll take afternoon tea in the V&A’s elegant café and afterwards explore at leisure some of the treasures of this stunning museum. Returning to our hotel, the final night of your tour in London will be free for you to explore this great city. Breakfast Y | Lunch N | Afternoon tea Y | Dinner N
Day 4. After breakfast we leave London and head north to Althorp, home of the Spencer family since 1508. Today Althorp is the family home of Diana’s brother Charles, 9th Earl Spencer. In the past it was childhood home to both Georgiana and Diana. Our guided tour takes us through beautiful rooms and past exquisite furniture and paintings that they both would have known. There’s then the rare chance to see an exhibition of Mario Testino’s Vanity Fair series of photographs of Princess Diana, followed by lunch on the Portico, overlooking Althorp’s deer park. In the afternoon we continue north for the upland beauty of the Derbyshire Peak District, Britain’s first National Park. Checking in at Hassop Hall, there’s time to freshen up before we meet for drinks in the bar, and then dinner, when we are joined by our guest speaker who will help bring our heroines’ stories to life. Breakfast (Y), Lunch (Y), Dinner (Y)
Day 5. We start the day with a beautiful journey skirting moorlands, limestone cliffs and the River Derwent as we head for glorious Chatsworth House, once home to Georgiana Cavendish. One of the most renowned stately homes in England, Chatsworth is today home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Our visit includes a guided tour of the exhibition House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth. Curated by American Vogue's international editor-at-large Hamish Bowles – the exhibition showcases the history of fashion through the Devonshire Collection. Alongside Georgiana herself you’ll find Adele Astaire, sister and dance partner of Fred; two ‘Mitford sisters’; Stella Tennant, who was photographed at Chatsworth with her grandmother, the 11th Duchess, for Vogue; and John F Kennedy’s sister Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy. Rich displays of clothes and accessories give a glimpse into the lives of these captivating women. We’ll take lunch at Chatsworth and there’ll be time to explore the garden at your leisure. Travelling through Chatsworth’s parkland (designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown) we’ll then follow the River Derwent as we head for the John Smedley knitwear shop and factory. This iconic company dates back to the very beginning of the Industrial Revolution. In the 1950s John Smedley was brand of choice for Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and the Beatles. In the ‘80s their knitwear was championed by Dame Vivienne Westwood and Sir Paul Smith, and the brand is still at the forefront of fashion today. We then take the scenic route back to our hotel for a refreshing rest. Our last dinner together will be in one of Derbyshire’s beautiful country inns. Breakfast Y | Lunch Y | Dinner Y
Day 6. We return you to your London airport for your flight home. If you would prefer to extend your vacation we will be pleased to help with suggestions or arrangements. Breakfast Y
The Princess
The Duchess
The Estates
The Power of Fashion
A tour inspired by the lives of Diana Princess of Wales and Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire – the 18th century’s “Empress of Fashion”.
Linked across three centuries by blood and by the shared home of Althorp, we explore these two women’s stories – their fame, their glamour and their wonderful wardrobes.
England’s most glamorous women – in the 18th century Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (think Keira Knightly in the movie “The Duchess”)
A unique opportunity to enjoy a trio of wonderful exhibitions – the sell-out ‘Diana Her Fashion Story’, Mario Testino’s Vanity Fair photographs, and ‘House Style: Five centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth’.
You will visit royal palaces, parks and country houses in London, and in the glorious Peak District of Derbyshire..
A unique opportunity to enjoy Mario Testino’s Vanity Fair photographs on special exhibitio this summer
Cache In The Attic: Inside Chatsworth's 'House Style: Five Centuries Of Fashion' - When Laura Burlington decided to search the Chatsworth storerooms - five centuries of fashion… and an exhibition was born.
Plus a visit to the iconic John Smedley, holder of the Royal Warrant of Appointment as “Manufacturer of Fine Knitwear”.
Expert and experienced Tour Director, to look after the group, helping shape and share the story
Airport transfers from and to London Airports
3 nights in London at the 4-star Grange Strathmore Hotel
2 nights in the Derbyshire Peak District at the 4-star Peak Edge Hotel and Red Lion
Breakfast on five mornings, three lunches, and three dinners
Travel to and from all excursions
All entrance costs
Travel to and from all excursions
Porterage
The Palaces
The Palaces
This tour starts in London with reception services upon your arrival at the airport or the hotel.
6 Days - 5 Nights
Program pricing is based upon hotel occupancy options
Single: $5,269.00 Canadian plus taxes
Double: $4,499.00 Canadian plus taxes
All Bookings may be made online with either a deposit or full payment if within 60 days of travel. Please click on the Book Now menu Tab and you will be taken to the booking form. Choose the tour options you prefer and follow the reservations instructions. When you arrive on the checkout page, you will be required to agree to the Cancellation Terms, fill in your personal information and enter Credit Card information. Your credit card information is not stored or retained in the system in any manner, and is only used to transaction the deposit or final tour payment. Upon successful payment, you will be directed to your confirmation page and a confirmation email will be sent to the email address you have entered on the check out page. Travel documents will be sent to you 4-6 weeks before travel as an e-document unless printed documentation is requested.
Our tours are primarily developed for adults, so you and your travelling companions are sure to share interests and foster a congenial atmosphere of fun and learning. You need to be in good health, free of infectious or contagious illness, and have a level of fitness which would not spoil other participants’ enjoyment of the holiday – see our tour descriptions and activity level to help you decide the tour’s appropriateness for you. Coaches, some hotels that we may use and some historic buildings we may visit are not always easy to use or access if you have certain disabilities. Should any member of your party suffer from any disability or medical condition which may affect their or other people's holidays you must provide full written details at the time you book the holiday, including any specific requirements that person has. Additionally, at the time you book the holiday you must provide written confirmation that you will provide all assistance the disabled person requires. However, given the nature of our tours, Pelago Travel reserves the right to accept or reject any person as a tour participant. If during the tour it transpires you are not able to cope adequately, or are ill, you may be asked to opt out of certain visits, or be asked to leave the tour altogether. This would be at your own expense.
Access Heritage Tours tours do not include the cost of travel insurance. It is a condition of booking that you have adequate holiday insurance. Cover for medical treatment, repatriation, loss of property and cancellation charges must be included. If you are making your own flight/travel arrangements, please ensure you have insurance in place that protects you in the unlikely event of Access or our partners cancelling the tour.
Your passport needs to be valid for six months beyond the date of the tour. You should ascertain whether visas are required, and obtain them if they are. Your consular office or travel agent will be able to help with this.
PRICES, QUOTES, DEPOSITS & PAYMENTS: All prices on this website are per person and based on double occupancy, unless otherwise indicated. and are quoted in Canadian Dollars. Single rates apply as stipulated. Rates are subject to change without notice. If a hotel included in a program is not available at the time of the reservation, we will substitute it for a hotel of similar category. Most programs can be customized. All itineraries are subject to change without notice. To receive a quote for any additional dates for this tour or a customzation, please contact us Toll Free at 1 855 900-9249 us or send an email to us. Once your deposit is received, the land portion of your vacation price is guaranteed with the exception of potential fuel related surcharges as charged by our vendors. Access Heritage Travel will always pass on these charges at cost in order to minimize the impact on the consumer.
Deposits must be received at time of booking. Most Programs require a $700 per person deposit. If a program requires a different deposit amount it will be specified on the Program page. For full coverage, Travel Insurance should be purchased at the same time as your deposit.
Final payment must be received in our offices at least 60 days prior to tour departure. There will instances (due to conditions from our suppliers) where a final payment or an additional partial payment will be due outside of the 60 days terms. You will be notified of these special conditions upon booking your tour. Bookings may be cancelled if deposit or final payment is not received by due dates. Reservations made within 60 days of departure require full payment. Tour documents are issued after final payment and sent approximately 3-4 weeks prior to departure. Please note that E-Documents are becoming commonplace. We will be sending E-Documents unless a request for Paper Documents is made.
All programs are based on the participation of at least 2 travelers (unless specified as otherwise in the tour description). Single traveler departures can be arranged if available. Some tours do have minimum age restrictions for children which will be disclosed with all reservation requests.
We refers to Pelago Travel Ltd, a company registered in England with company number10069848. Registered office: Diamond Court, Water Street, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1EW.
We provide full financial protection for our package holidays. We do not provide flights as part of our package. We are members of Protected Travel Services. Any monies paid in advance of your holiday are held in a secure trust account, which is fully compliant with UK 1992 Package Travel Regulations. This means that you will be fully refunded for any monies you have paid to us in the unlikely event of our insolvency. It also means that if such an event happens whilst you are on holiday you will not be stranded abroad or in the UK and will be transferred back to the tour start point. Many of the services which make up our tours are provided by independent suppliers, often in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable international conventions. Where applicable, copies of relevant terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.
The purchase of a Travel Protection Plan is highly recommended. Ask your Reservation Specialist for details.
RESERVATION CHANGES A $50 per person fee will be assessed for each change to any booking made after final payment is received plus any additional fees that may be charged by our suppliers. Changes in departure date, itineraries or passengers are considered a cancellation and a new booking. No change will be made unless permitted under the terms of our cancellation policy, even if you transfer to another date.
We might decide to cancel a tour if at any time up to 57 days before departure there were insufficient bookings for it to be viable. We would refund everything you had paid to us. We may also cancel a tour if hostilities, civil unrest, natural disaster or other circumstances amounting to force majeure affect the region to which the tour was due to go. If we cancel the whole of the tour we will do our best to rearrange the tour on a mutually convenient date, or provide a refund to you of the cost to us of the tour if within 56 days of departure date. Save as above we shall be under no further liability to you for cancellation of the tour or any part of it.
You may cancel your booking up to 57 days before the tour is due to start and you will only forfeit the deposit of $700.00 per person. If you cancel 56 days or less from the start of the tour you will forfeit 100% of the tour cost. If you cancel your booking in a double or twin room but are travelling with a companion who chooses to continue to participate on the tour, the companion will be liable to pay the stipulated single supplement.
The best city to visit within easy striking distance of London is Bath — just a 1.5-hour train ride away. If ever a city enjoyed looking in the mirror, Bath's the one. Its streets a series of architectural chorus lines, Bath has more protected historic buildings per capita than any other town in England. Built of the creamy warm-tone limestone called "Bath stone," it beams in its cover-girl complexion. Proud locals remind visitors that the town is routinely banned from the "Britain in Bloom" contest to give other towns a chance to win. Bath's narcissism is justified. Even with its mobs of tourists and greedy prices, Bath is a joy to visit.
London is the L.A., D.C., and N.Y.C. of Britain — a living, breathing, thriving organism…a coral reef of humanity. Blow through the city on a double-decker bus, and take a pinch-me-I'm-in-London walk through the West End. Ogle the crown jewels at the Tower of London, hear the chimes of Big Ben, and see the Houses of Parliament in action. Cruise the Thames River, and take a spin on the London Eye. Hobnob with the tombstones in Westminster Abbey, visit with Leonardo, Botticelli, and Rembrandt in the National Gallery, and explore Harry Potter's stomping grounds at the film studio in Leavesden. Enjoy Shakespeare in a replica of the Globe Theatre and marvel at a glitzy, fun musical at a modern-day theater. Whisper across the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, then rummage through our civilization's attic at the British Museum.
Visit world famous Stonehenge and nearby Salisbury. The countryside surrounding Bath holds two of England's most goose-pimply prehistoric sites, Stonehenge and Avebury. As old as the pyramids, and older than the Acropolis and the Colosseum, Stonehenge amazed medieval Europeans, who figured it was built by a race of giants. Today, it still retains an air of mystery and majesty (partly because cordons, which keep hordes of tourists from trampling all over it, foster the illusion that it stands alone in a field). Nearby Avebury is a prehistoric open-air museum, with a complex of fascinating Neolithic sites all gathered around a great stone circle that's likely even older — and for many, more enjoyable — than Stonehenge.
Ever since the first homework was assigned in 1167, the University of Oxford’s stellar graduates have influenced Western civilization; its alumni include 26 British prime ministers, more than 60 Nobel Prize winners, and even 11 saints. But that doesn't mean that Oxford is stodgy. Although you may see professors in their traditional black robes, this is a fun, young college town, filled with shopping streets, cheap eats, and rowdy, rollicking pubs. Step off the busy, urban-feeling High Street into the hushed sanctuary of a grassy college quad. See the dining hall that inspired the one where Harry Potter eats his meals, or the pub where J. R. R. Tolkien first spoke about hobbits. Just outside town is the magnificent Blenheim Palace, England's finest countryside estate.
Enjoy the world class museums and art galleries of London. Whether you love Old Masters or modern art, contemporary sculpture or Impressionist paintings, London has an art gallery to suit you. London's smaller art galleries are full of hidden treasures. Whether you're into fine art, sculpture, photography, contemporary works or arty events, you will find hidden gems to satisfy your artistic interests in one of London's more intimate art spaces. The National Gallery - The crowning glory of Trafalgar Square, London's National Gallery is a vast space filled with Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Find works by masters such as Van Gogh, da Vinci, Botticelli, Constable, Renoir, Titian and Stubbs. The National Portrait Gallery - The National Portrait Gallery near Trafalgar Square is home to the world's largest collection of faces and personalities, from Tudor times to the present. From Shakespeare to kings and queens, and icons of our time, it also has a photographic collection and one of the best roof-top restaurants in London. The list goes on with over 50 options available.
TRAVEL & HEALTH DOCUMENTS: Passport and visa requirements, as well as vaccination certificates and other health requirements for travel between your home city and your tour destinations, may change from time to time. It is the sole responsibility of the passenger to determine if any visas and vaccinations are needed. Passengers who do not have proper documentation may be prevented from boarding a flight and will consequently lose 100% of total package price.
The Making of Hamish Bowles’s Chatsworth House Exhibit
The Duchess – Amanda Foreman’s book (biography of Georgiana Cavendish (née Spencer)
Single Suppliments and Currency
All prices on this website are per person and based on double occupancy, unless otherwise indicated. and are quoted in Canadian Dollars. Single rates apply as stipulated. Rates are subject to change without notice. Tour prices are subject to change depending upon currency exchange rates. Final tour payment price may therefore change between th etime a deposit is made and when the final payment is due.
To Be Listed
If you any questions about this or any of tours, please contact one of our travel experts at Toll Free 1 855 900-9249 or
EMAIL US at Send Mail
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